Anaconda will be hopping this evening.

The Annual Christmas Stroll begins with the annual tree lighting ceremony. At 6pm on the Kennedy Common, Santa will light the tree.

There will also be a drawing for Anaconda Bucks, followed by a stroll downtown, with Santa leading the parade to the visitors center in downtown. Once there, you can find special sales and dressed-up mannequins in store windows.

Look for some great food vendors, and carolers – you can even join in.

Note that Megamind is showing at the Washoe Theatre at 305 Main Street. For tickets and show times, call 563-6161. It will be available from today, November 26 until December 2.

Ok, I know this isn’t Anaconda, but I wasn’t in Anaconda last year, I was in Folsom – so check out this tree lighting instead.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Anaconda-Deer Lodge County is looking at updating the existing Growth Policy that was adopted in 2005. Many things have changed in the past five years and there are now different growth and development issues. In addition, the Montana Code Annotated now has different growth policy requirements.

The proposed update should put a new focus on remediation and redevelopment of Superfund sites, and on how redevelopment of remediated areas will contribute to the local economy and be supported by the community.

Growth policy should address important community issues such as jobs, housing conditions, streets and roads, subdivision of land, and emergency services.

The areas covered include:

By Tom Ski 

This time of year I love to travel to the Slippery Ann Elk Viewing Area north of Lewistown, Montana.  It’s about an hours north of town on Hwy. 191.  I’d call it a scenic drive, passing various ranches, antelope, deer and maybe a coyote or two along the way.

Once we crossed the James Kipp Bridge, we took a right on a gravel road for 5 miles into the viewing area. Slippery Ann Elk Viewing Area is part of the Charles M. Russell National Refuge.  In recent years records show that nearly 500 elk visit the area in September.  Numbers remain high through early October, and begin to thin out as harems break up and the bulls begin to feed once again to store up reserves for the winter ahead.

Elk Herd, Photo: Tom Ski

As we approached the Elk Viewing Area, we began hearing the bugling bulls, a sound that is music to my soul.  We drove another mile down the road past several vehicles to a spot elk within 30 to 50 yards off the road.  The viewing area is about 2 miles long and backs up to the Missouri River; viewers are not allowed to leave the road.

We set up our cameras and recording equipment and sat back to watch the show.  I find it very interesting to watch the bulls challenge each other as they round up their harems of cows. While all of this excitement is going on, the spring calves are mostly minding their mothers.   Even more interesting, is that the cows actually pick the bull to mate with, most likely to choosing the biggest bull, which can weight as much as 1,000 pounds.

As mating season winds down, the elk separate in their groups with the cows, calves, and spike bulls hanging together.  The bigger bulls go off in their own direction until next mating season.

Elk Viewing Area, Photo: Tom Ski

In the spring, elk feed on the new grasses after a long winter of eating dry grass and shrubs.  In Montana calves are born between May 21^st and June 12^th.  Twins are very rare.  Calves are tan colored and spotted, so they blend in with their surroundings.  The calves give off very little scent making it difficult for predators to detect them.

As dark approached, we finished our picnic dinner and sat back to listen to the bugling blasts and blunders of the bulls, as well as cow squeals for well beyond an hour, a symphony of nature at its best.

It would have been fun to stay all night, but we politely packed up our equipment and ourselves up and drove back to the Yogo Inn, an excellent base camp for our adventures and the best Sunday Brunch I have had in awhile.

Till Next time, fun travels and tight lines.

Troutski and Road Trekin Adventures

Male Elk, Photo: Tom Ski

One Male Elk at Viewing Area, Photo: Tom Ski

Elk Grazing, Photo: Tom Ski

Elk Herd Grazing, Photo: Tom Ski

Popularity: 4% [?]

The Anaconda district court has set a new trial date for a man who had his 2008 rape conviction overturned by the Supreme Court of Montana.

60 year-old Donald Sage was accused of forced sexual intercourse with an 18-year-old girl, without her consent in December 2007. The incident occurred at the man’s Anaconda home, while the girl was using his computer. He allegedly restrained and raped her.

The 12-person jury trail is arranged for Monday, Dec. 20, 2010.

See more on this story at mtstandard.com

Popularity: 7% [?]

September 1-2 – Inception

- showing at the Washoe Theatre at 305 Main Street. For tickets and showtimes info call 563-6161.

September 3-4 — Salt

- showing at the Washoe Theatre at 305 Main Street. For tickets and showtimes info call 563-6161.

September 8 — Shakespeare in the Parks

- A Midsummer Night’s Dream at 6 pm in Washoe Park. In case of bad weather, the performance will be held at Fred Moodry Middle School. For more information, call 994-3901.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Deer Lodge citizens filed a writ of mandamus against Zoo Mountain Natural Care, Inc. They complained that the medical marijuana production center violated the Act restricting the limits of marijuana production for medical purposes.

Zoo Mountain owners said that their operation is legal and that no law is violated. The district judge issued an order regarding this case.

See the story at mtstandard.com

Popularity: 5% [?]

Now 27 years old, Joshua Jay Sharkey, of Anaconda, denies he violated 12 conditions of his suspended sentence from a 2007 felony conviction.

According to the 2007 records, Sharkey shot the windows out of a state Department of Transportation loader, with a .22-caliber rifle. The loader was parked at Silver Lake.

Two of the conditions Sharkey is accused of violating are drinking alcohol, and driving with a suspended license and no insurance.

The  mtstandard.com has more on this story.

Popularity: 24% [?]

The Mountain Standard reports that the ongoing removal of unexploded military ordnance that has been buried in Deer Lodge Valley for more than 50 years is continuing.

The ordnance could still be a threat to hikers and hunters. The Standard says Montana National Guard talked to county and city officials on Wednesday, about the site investigation they are conducting. The aim is to determine the scope of unexploded military ordnance (UXO), left over from the Guard’s tank and artillery training exercises on the Montana State Prison Ranch.

There is concern there could be unexploded 90mm shells, bazookas, rifle grenades and small arms ammunition. The Guard says it is working to find and remove them, then detonate them safely.

There have been previous cleanup operations, since 1980, but the work is not complete and the location of the cleaned-up areas is not marked.

The National Defense Authorization Act Military Munitions Response Program was authorized by Congress in 2002, requiring an inventory of all current and former military sites and determine cost and liability and develop a cleanup plan. There are 34 such sites in Montana.

See the complete story at mtstandard.com

Popularity: 3% [?]

In Deer Lodge, healthcare administrators, doctors and local community leaders gathered at the future site of a new $18 million hospital.

Hospital CEO Alan Bird, representatives for Senators Baucus and Tester Congressman Rehberg, and Hospital Board Members were present at the groundbreaking for the new Deer Lodge Medical Center. A large crowd gathered to see the event, complete with a helicopter landing, and probably drawn by the promise of the BBQ.

The groundbreaking is the symbolic first  step after many years of discussion and preparation.

The new privately funded facility will cover 40 thousand square feet, allowing more local surgeries and improved technology.

Medical Center groundbreaking

See stories at mtstandard.com and Groundbreaking For New Deer Lodge Medical Center

The Medical Center should take around a year to build.

Popularity: 19% [?]

Vandalism suspected

Flooding in the the third floor men’s restroom at the Anaconda courthouse caused around $20,000 in damage last week. Vandalism is suspected and now the County is considering adding new security cameras and sensor faucets to prevent it happening again.

The building maintenance superintendent said paper towels were stuffed down the drains of two sinks and water was left running around 5 p.m., as the courthouse was closing last Friday. As the building was not occupied, the vandalism wasn’t discovered until Sunday afternoon, and by then, seepage through the floor caused damage in the treasurer’s office on the second floor and in the deputy county attorney’s office on the first floor.

See a story at mtstandard.com

All of the carpet in the treasurer’s office had to be removed.

Deputy County Attorney Ellen Donohue discovered the water noon on Sunday, entering the office to catch up on work.

Popularity: 43% [?]